PowerColor's new Radeon GPUs with an AI NPU lowers power consumption by up to 20%

AMD might not have unveiled its next-gen RDNA 4 GPU architecture at Computex 2024 last week, but Radeon AIB partner PowerColor had an awesome concept Radeon graphics card with a built-in AI NPU that reduces power consumption by up to 20%.

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PowerColor concept Radeon GPU with AI NPU (source: QuasarZone)

The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is something we've seen on Intel's current-gen Core Ultra 100 series "Meteor Lake" CPUs, a growing amount of AMD Ryzen CPUs -- and their upcoming Zen 5-based CPUs and APUs -- but now we're seeing graphics cards that will eventually have an NPU inside using AI to do their magic.

PowerColor was using a custom AI NPU chip on a concept graphics card at Computex 2024, separate to the GPU itself, which is capable of adjusting power consumption and fan profiles on-the-fly, reducing power consumption by up to (an impressive) 20% without much of a performance hit (not that you'll notice it at super high FPS, anyway).

Kneron is the company that provided the AI NPU, with the power consumption magic very similar to AMD's own in-house Radeon Chill and Radeon Boost technologies.

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The company explained: "The collaboration between TUL and Kneron not only showcases the power of technological innovation but also demonstrates the two companies' commitment to green and low-carbon development. Hellhound and Red Devil series graphics cards, equipped with Kneron's AI-powered NPU processor, Kneron's AI model has the ability to intelligently adjust GPU output, allowing graphics cards to maintain high performance while reducing power consumption by up to 20%".

"This breakthrough not only reduces energy consumption but also extends the lifespan of devices. In ECO mode, the graphics card can intelligently detect GPU temperature changes and dynamically control fan speeds, reducing power consumption by up to 20%. This allows users to enjoy high-quality gaming experiences while being environmentally friendly".

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"In Boost mode, the graphics card dynamically adjust GPU power consumption and heat dissipation, strictly managing power consumption to ensure high performance and stability".

• AI NPU disabled: 118FPS, 51C, 338W power, 1918 RPM
• AI NPU enabled: 107FPS, 61C, 261W power, 1037RPM